Overview
ISO 10764:2016 - Footwear - Test methods for slide fasteners - Lateral strength describes a standardized laboratory method to assess the lateral strength of closed slide fasteners (zippers) used in footwear. The method applies to all types of slide fasteners and defines specimen preparation, test apparatus, test conditions and reporting requirements so results are repeatable and comparable across suppliers, manufacturers and testing laboratories.
Key technical topics and requirements
- Scope: Measures the lateral force required to cause failure of a closed slide fastener (teeth, stringer or tape failure).
- Apparatus
- Tensile testing machine with a jaw separation rate of (100 ± 10) mm/min.
- Force measurement accuracy to Class 2 (±2%) up to 2.0 kN (per ISO 7500‑1).
- Two clamps with square ends (25.5 ± 0.5) mm wide; clamping surfaces may be corrugated or coated with abrasive paper and must avoid localized pressure at the clamping edge.
- Optional locating jig or metal block to keep clamps parallel and aligned.
- Specimen preparation
- Minimum of three test positions per sample (or three separate fasteners); each test point requires at least 50 mm of free closed fastener on either side.
- Marking lines (25 ± 2) mm long, positioned (3.0 ± 0.5) mm from the edge of the teeth.
- Conditioning for 24 hours in the specified standard atmosphere (ISO 18454) before testing.
- Adhesive application for heavy‑duty fasteners to improve clamp grip (polychloroprene solvent‑based).
- Test procedure
- Close the fastener, clamp at the marked positions, align teeth at 90° to the machine axis and apply the prescribed jaw separation rate until failure.
- Record maximum force (N) and classify failure mode (e.g., teeth separation, teeth pulled off stringer, stringer failure, clamp slip).
- If clamp slip or stringer tear occurs, repeat with adjusted clamping force; report the highest valid maximum value and mean values per failure type.
- Reporting
- Reference to ISO 10764:2016, full sample description, test date, arithmetic mean maximum force(s), failure type(s) and any deviations.
Practical applications and users
ISO 10764:2016 is used for:
- Quality control and incoming inspection of zippers and assembled footwear.
- Product development and materials selection when designing footwear closures.
- Supplier qualification and acceptance testing by footwear brands and manufacturers.
- Accredited testing laboratories performing routine or comparative lateral strength evaluations.
Primary users include footwear manufacturers, component suppliers, product engineers, QA/QC teams and third‑party testing labs.
Related standards
- ISO 7500‑1 - Verification of force measuring systems for tensile testing machines
- ISO 19952 - Footwear vocabulary
- ISO 18454 - Standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing of footwear and components
Keywords: ISO 10764:2016, lateral strength, slide fastener testing, footwear testing, tensile testing machine, stringer, clamps, zipper lateral strength.
